Ash Wings
by crimsonnightfang
Summary: It was over, but what was taken left an ache. The hawk now alone came up with a solution, however, to fix things.


Idea inspired by YuuiOotori

* * *

It was finally over.

Errors had been corrected and new passages could be born from the ashes now that Verloren had be forgiven for crimes he had not committed. He returned where he had once reigned over, but he had taken Ayanami with him. The parts of the god could be restored, but it was more efficient for the god to do so within the gates of heaven rather than attempting such a procedure here.

Beyond that, he hadn't been fully clear on details such as where the ghost and souls who had housed them would be now. If Verloren was being restored, he would likely need those fragments right? So that would mean the souls bound to them would have to be removed. It was likely for the best though he honestly didn't care what happened to them. He was more in thought on the fact he was now left here in the military that had become so horribly damaged throughout the hidden war of God and Ghost. Many in high command had died and Ayanami was the one who should have taken over, but he wasn't here anymore. This left things in slight disarray... okay, more than slight.

Still, he was now left without a part of himself. Two parts if he included the less physical aspect.

One had been the Warsfiel power.

That flower had eaten away so much of the darkness, enough to leave him in the standings of a normal person. With the departure of the vessel and god, it also felt as if he should be a restored soul again, but somehow it felt darker and more empty. As if it were entirely ripped from him instead of replaced.

Reason two was that Ayanami had been his life. The one who gave him a reason to fight and live, but now that he was gone what could he possibly do?

"I was suppose to go first, Aya-tan." Now he was left here with a sense of being alone. One of the others would take over the Hawks or they would almost all go their own ways, he figured almost because Kuroyuri would likely go with Haruse. This would leave him truly alone in all sense of the word. Konatsu was already on his way to leading a new Black Hawk team, one that would be feared for their strength instead of what type of creature they were. He would do great, the people of the team already looked up to him.

It left Hyuuga musing that he had always felt that if both Ayanami and he lived neither had to be alone, but now... "Do you feel alone too?" No answer came, he hadn't expected one to.

Stepping through the halls that lay in shambles around him, he shook his head with a slight smile. These people were like ants trying to repair their hill after it was kicked. The extensive damage would possibly take months to fix, it was lucky for Barsburg the only real Raggs to worry about was the small prince. But with him being friends with Barsburg people, namely the future Empress, they would unlikely have reason to worry.

He considered what he could do now, since it seemed options were limited. He couldn't really see far ahead now, it was as if the path had become shrouded in darkness. So when he was given and order to take care of some troublesome people, he found an opportunity and threw a hastily made plan into motion.

The time came and he found himself at deaths door where the Chief of Heaven stood watching him. With his head tilted and smiling he asked, "How did I die?" Though he was working on remembering that part himself, as it was slightly clouded. Still, god or not he was not going to be intimidated. Especially by the one who had caused this whole mess in the first place by casting out the other god. As far as he was concerned, it was that persons fault he had been torn away from his dearest person and that was not something he could forgive.

"You died young."

Hyuuga pouted, it was no fun if he didn't play along. Though he didn't need an answer, he knew why he let himself to be cut down so easily. Warsfiel abilities or not, he was perfectly capable of destroying his enemies... if he chose too.

In a flood he remembered exactly those last moments before arriving here.

_Zaiphon flew about, most of it precisely avoided out through sheer reflex. He was tired of this pointless fight that he could easily win if he drew his blades and slashed through those attacks, he was tired of dragging himself through the motions even though it hadn't been that long since things had ended. Just tired of fighting without a reason anymore._

_A strong blast hurled at him, one he could have deflected or simply moved away from. However he forced that reflex down and it caught him, sending him backwards and crashing into a wall. The wall broke under the pressure and turned to rubble around him as he was approached, a blade stabbing into his shoulder quickly as if they thought he would get back up otherwise. Wedging between muscle and bone he just grinned darkly and they didn't understand why._

_"Do you want to die?" One asked with an angered scowl._

_The old hawk just twisted the blade in response. No sign of wincing through those hidden smiling eyes while crimson poured in rivers from the wound. They decided something was just horribly wrong with this person, something inhuman. With a final blade his life was cut off as swiftly as his movements had been years before, that grin remained in place even as he coughed up blood and his vision grew dark._

But his plan in motion now.

Looking up to the god he smiled and teased, "I guess the world couldn't handle me." He needed to make this work, so after there was no response for a while he decided to speak again, "I just miss someone, you can understand that, right?" Playing on the incident over Eve, he figured the recklessness on his part couldn't possibly be held against him.

This seemed to work, the deity took his turn to smile, "I'm guessing that would be my most perfect creation you're referring to?"

"He is perfect," the fallen Black Hawk agreed but refrained from speaking further. If he meant Ayanami then Hyuuga had to agree, but if he meant Verloren he would want to mockingly ask if he felt threatened by such perfection and that was why he did what he had to the other.

"I can allow you to visit that person before you are reborn, you aided in fixing wrongs. Consider it my thank you for your services. But first what are you wishes?"

Hyuuga smiled and spoke as he had planned.

In a sudden flash Hyuuga was nearly stumbling as he found himself standing at the bottom of a glass staircase. The glow of white reflected off the clear steps and blinded him slightly which made him wonder how anyone could even see in this pure white light. It was like something brighter than a star echoed off the crystals and sent the sparkles of everywhere, even beyond the space that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Through the blinding light there rested a person clad in solid black with boned wings spreading beyond even the width of those stairs.

No turning back now, not that he would have. He was risking so much for this chance. He had forfeited his life already and now he would risk the chance at a happy life given by the chief if it meant...

"Aya-tan?"

The figure looked over him, not seeming all that surprised with the mans appearance here. He probably looked like a regular person almost as the uniform had been replaced with regular black pants and white shirt, "Hyuuga. Why are you here?"

Hyuuga looked around before deciding to keep his eyes on the black that was the least painful to the eyes. Ayanami watched the easily distracted man with narrowing patience until it seemed he remembered what he was going to say, "Where is Verloren?"

Ayanami simply stared blankly at first, wondering why such a question was the first thing spoken. Hyuuga opened his eyes properly and met the gem-like one that sighed, "He is tending to the mess left in his absence."

"So you're separated?" Came a slightly too eager response.

"Yes, however I am needed here."

This was good, but he hoped his time wouldn't run out before he could manage the reason for coming here, "Come with me." Hyuuga probably seemed insane, but such things from the former Major weren't uncommon.

"I cannot. You should have lived freely Hyuuga..."

"I couldn't Aya-tan," he smiled, eyes closed again, "I was supposed to die first remember?"

"Hyuuga..."

"I can't and wont live without you," there was sincerity there that could not be faked. But Ayanami sighed at him and motioned for Hyuuga to be sent off. Falling into a veil below to be sent off to a new life. He wouldn't be deterred so easily though and reached out to the expressionless other, "I will die as many times as it takes to convince you to come with me." That was no doubt. Without Ayanami in the world to be found he would always feel alone and he liked to think it would be the same for that precious person.

After a few moments of silence a small smile came to the the silver haired mans lips. Even without memory of the past, Hyuuga would undoubtedly stand by his word and somehow would manage it no matter how many centuries it took him. Which brought him to the fact he never really wished to be here anyway. A voice in his mind as if there beside him telling him they wished for him to live a human life. Here he was following with gods who had stolen so much...

Without a second thought he took that hand and hoped he would not come to regret the decision. Though Hyuuga would probably end up protecting him from any consequences. He could sense his old friend had actually thought that much through, they would somehow meet again. So going back to the place he thought he would never see again wasn't as bad as it could be.

Two souls reunited only to be separated soon after, tragic, but they would meet again. Both were sure of this.

**~~~Years Later~~~**

A boy with black hair had been wandering about when he was supposed to be at piano practice but naturally skipped out as he often chose to. He was lucky to even be allowed into a noble domain, but his slacking would only be scolded. The pianist had deemed his talent too rare to simply let it go over missed practice that the boy didn't even need.

He pulled a small candy from a pocket, his wasn't suppose to have such things but that didn't stop him. These noble clothes were at least useful enough to hide his candies, other than that he wasn't fond of them but had been informed if he was going to be among royal blood he had to look the part. He halted in a nearby hall when he spotted a pale boy with silver hair seemed to be fussing over the disarray of his clothes. Finally someone around his age. With closed eyes and a smile he strode over to the boy, "Hello."

Looking up from the frustration clothing said boy blinked slightly before his blank eyes met the smiling ones, "Hello... and who are you?" He hadn't seen him before. The young boy surely would have known of others his age, so who was this boy? Why did he feel familiar?

"Kuro Hyuuga, but you can call me Hyuuga! nice to meet you- um..." he paused and opened his eyes to assess the fellow noble, uncertain what to call him.

Sparing the trouble of asking, purple eyes glanced into blue ones, "Shiro Ayanami..."

"Nice to meet you, Aya-tan!" Pronounced the boy as if the nickname were something he had always used. He brushed off the black noble garments as the other had been doing with his white ones shortly before, "We should be friends~"

The slightly shorter of the two gave him a look, but the nickname felt so familiar and warm to his cold alone heart. Unbeknownst to him, the other too felt a warmth from it. He didn't know where it was from, but it felt less lonely now.

_Now we can play again and I'll protect you..._

_Just like before._


End file.
